Why I Think Local Adventures Are Important

Is there a more pleasant way of spending a warm spring day than hiking to the top of a fell in the lake district and watching the sunset over the mountains? It sounds great and would be hard to argue against. If you are anything like me though, who, between working 6 days a week and spending my spare day on other hobbies then it can be really difficult to find the time to travel and do that. Big adventures are often limited to a few days of annual leave I can spare throughout the year.

So if those beautiful British landmarks are off the cards a lot of the time, what can you do? The answer is local adventures, or to coin Alastair Humphreys’s well-known term ‘Microadventures’. It was Alastair who inspired me to be able to enjoy going on small, local adventures to spend more meaningful time outside.

A microadventure is an adventure that is short, simple, local, cheap – yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing and rewarding.

Alastair Humphreys

So why do I think they are important? According to Mind, there are a heap of benefits to spending time in the great outdoors. Not only are you likely to be more active, but it helps with your mental health as well, reducing stress and anxiety, and helping you feel more relaxed.

If we limit our opportunities to big adventures in the National Parks, which we see so much on TV and social media, we put up barriers which prevent us from getting that important time outdoors regularly. Suddenly, free time, money and motivation become factors, all of which can stop us from stepping out of the door.

So I leave the nice big adventures for the odd few days I can spare and concentrate on getting a smaller adventure as often as I can. As I can do it most days it can be just as satisfying as a big walk up a mountain. I get that satisfaction everyday and reap the benefits too.

Here are some ways I like to spend time outdoors each day:

Photography

I’ve gotten into photography over the past two years. It’s great because you can pretty much do it anywhere and the attention to detail means you find so many things you would normally have walked right past. Most of my photography is done within a 20-minute walk of my front door.

Running

Running is one of my favourite ways to spend time outdoors and it’s completely free. It helps clear my mind but also keeps me active.

Wild Camping

Occasionally I spare myself a night under the stars. I have a local spot which is 15 minutes from my front door and I can leave the house and be back in the morning all before the family are awake.

Gardening

Adventure doesn’t only need to be going to new places. Learning a new skill can be an adventure. I moved into a house with a garden for the first time last year and I’ve been loving learning all about different plants and trying to grow them. Gardening is how I spend most of my days outdoors.

Lunch Time Walks

Whether you work from an office or home, taking a short walk on your lunch break almost guarantees you a little taste of the outdoors each day.